A week ago the sakura surrounding Thunderbird Plaza in Abbotsford were still in bud.
Sakura buds about to burst in Abbotsford, BC
Now they are at their peak.
Cherry blossoms in full splendor in Abbotsford, BC
Sakura at Thunderbird Plaza, Abbotsford, BC
For a few days Mt. Baker (whom I affectionately call Beka-san for he is, after all, a distant cousin of the esteemed Fuji-san) presided in regal white robes over the whole show. But those days I didn’t have a camera in tow; besides, from the best angle an air-conditioning unit on a nearby building obscures almost everything but his nose. Sometimes reality is best left to the power of imagination.
Sakura blossoms in Abbotsford, BC
The forecast showers have held off—so far—and daily I return to observe the subtle changes. Slowly the perfect pink star at each blossom’s centre fades to soft green, and soon I will rue the moment the wind or rain brings ruin.
Sakura (cherry blossoms) in Abbotsford, BC
It will come. Knowing—even accepting that—does little to mitigate the hard, tight pinch inside the heart. The fragile, fleeting nature of life underscores all loss in ethereal petals about to let loose on the wind. Mono no aware. The pathos of things. Anicca. The impermanence of things. Memento mori.